Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Ruger American predator

I’m looking to get a Ruger American predator in 22-250 to use as my night time calling rifle with a thermal and suppressor. I went to a local gun shop and handled one in 6.5 but it had a trigger lock on it so I couldn’t feel the trigger pull. Anyone have one and if so what are your thoughts on the rifle?

Also, I can’t find one in stock anywhere. If anyone knows where one is at I’d appreciate ya letting me know.

Thx
Ben

I have the regular American in .22-250 and the 6.5 CM in the Predator. My .22-250 did not feed well with the factory rotary mag, so I called Ruger and they sent me another for free. It didn't feed either. The heavy taper on the .22-250 caused the top cartridge to stand straight up in warm weather. Since them Ruger has made a stagger feed mag that feeds correctly, but before they did I bought a mag for the .450 Bushmaster that fed correctly. Only issue with the .450 mag was that it stuck out of the stock with a sow belly look.

The triggers are a bit heavy but crisp out of the box, but they are adjustable for pull weight. You might get it down to what you want, but I cut one coil off the factory spring before attempting to adjust the pull weight. Mcarbo sells a replacement spring for about $16, but I have been satisfied with my mods.

I have a couple of the Ruger American Predator rifles.........IMO they are a great value for the money, the biggest problem is the F'n Glock style trigger. you can change the springs, you can take out the glock blade but in the end the trigger is a POS !!!!!!!!!!!

I am not really a Timney fan but on this rifle the Timney trigger transforms the RAR into a different realm, a MUST HAVE !!!!!!!!!

OL' Pott's has them on sale right now for $135

Cabela's - 22-250 - in stock.

Adjustable trigger.

I have a 6.5 CM that is excellent.

SheriffJoe,

What cabelas location?

I’ve checked on line and they showed out of stock

Thx
Ben

Sent you a PM.

I have around a dozen Ruger Americans and the only one that I've haven't found a MOA or better load for is the 22-250.

I don't find the factory trigger objectionable, but if you don't like it, I'd consider installing an M-Carbo trigger spring kit before going all in on a Timney unit. I have factory triggers, modified factory triggers, and a couple of Timneys. The Timneys are better, but are they $130 better?

I find the comb height to be a little low for me, so I have installed Beartooth comb risers on a couple of the RAR-Ps. Not a need to have, more of a nice to have.

Absolutely !!!!!!!!!

Buy a cheap azzed rifle, spend $130 on the trigger, never get that back. Makes sense. I'd just buy a Tikka right from the get go. My buddy has a couple RAR's, one a 6.5 Predator. It is hell on brass because the chamber was not cut or polished well and the regular RAR does not feed for schidt. They are an economy rifle, you get what you pay for. I'd look for a used Tikka, if I wanted to be cheap..

I disagree, the $130 Timney made my RAR's have a much better trigger than my Tikka's.
Mine feed fine and don't have the issues you describe. also they have a much better bedding system than a Tikka

I’m buying a cheap rifle because I don’t want to thread any of the nice rifles I already have. Whatever rifle I buy is going to get used and used hard. It’s going to get beat up. It’s going to be a tool. If I can buy a rifle that shoots well enough to hit a coyote at 300 yards through a thermal scope and it only costs me $450 bucks that is a hell of a lot better than seeing a rifle I care about get beat to hell. The Ruger also has a 10” twist and I just happen to be sitting on a pile of 60gr Sierra tipped matchkings…. So the Ruger makes sense.

My Ruger Predator in 6.5 Grendel gets the crap bounced off it out in the field, in these Oregon Mountains...
Doesn't phase it.. its a very practical rifle for hunting here...

Sees rough service and sheds it all with no problem.

Don't know if it is the cartridge or the rifle.... but this darn Grendel is also accurate as hell, which is a nice added feature..

When they come out with a 6ARC in the same platform, I'll be adding one of those also...

Agreed.

I superglued the trigger blade back and then clipped the trigger spring until I had it at about 2 pounds... lights out accurate and it took me 10 minutes and zero dollars.

Southern Know How at work!!

Got my Ruger last week. As reports indicated the mag is a p o s. 100%will not feed first round out of a full mag. About 66% won’t feed the second round. Last two feed like butter. Called Ruger and a new one is on its way but unless it’s a 243,308, creed mag I doubt it works any better but the 243/308/creed mag is reported to feed perfectly. Only shot two loads through it so far. Sierra 1365’s I loaded probably 25 years ago for a pdog shoot on my Dillon and it literally stacked them all on top of each other. The other load was 55BT’s also for a different rifle and it shot them almost as well. Once I get the feeding issues squared away and my suppressor finally gets here, I’ll hang my thermal scope on it and it’ll be coyote killin time.

Is your factory mag a rotary or a stagger feed? I had issues with a .22-250 with the factory rotary. The staggered feed mag solved the problem.

I bought a .243 predator when they first came out. Did the new magazine switch by calling Ruger. Adjusted the factory trigger as low as I could get it. Put it in a Boyd’s. That rifle shot like a house on fire, not kidding. Very sub moa. I used it to bang 800-900 yd steel.

the little Americans generally shoot very well. though the magazines are not very good that is the downfall with them. but 22 250 in particular seems to be amongst the worst with magazine issues. I solved this by putting the barreled action in a Magpul stock and using the AICS mags ..

I slapped mine in a chassis to get rid of the chitty mags and stock.....

That's pretty sweet.

I picked up a LH Predator in 308 a while back. Swapped the flush-fit magazine for AICS pattern, that was easy to do, but the stock still sucks.

If MDT offered a LH chassis, I'd go that route. But being a lefty, what do we get? Boyds plywood. Stop laughing. (grin)

MDT LSS XL-Gen 2.

My RH RAR-P is in an ESS. Gets around the flimsy original stock and crappy rotary mags all in one fell swoop.

I don't see a LH option.

https://mdttac.com/lss-xl-gen2-chassis-system/


I found it, Thanks!
https://mdttac.com/left-chassis/

I picked up mine for the wife today in 6.5 cm LH cut the barrel back to 20" this afternoon. Going to be her Christmas present just need to paint the stock and reinforce it some so it doesn't flex up and put pressure on the barrel.

I have a LH 6.5 CM but if I could find a LH 223 I'd snap it up.

I’ve taken the spring clear out on all mine. Maybe a more permanent option for you than super glue.

pull the main spring out clip about a coil and a half off of it slightly stretch it polish off a few rough edges and you have a 2 lb trigger quickly and easily like in 10 minutes. leave the blade intact and it makes a very much like a two-stage trigger very suitable very friendly. very easy. I've done four or five this way quick and easy

Push the stupid blade back, and slap a trigger shoe on it. No super glue needed......

Mine is the rotary mag. Still waiting on the Ruger replacement. If I have time this week I hope to work up a load for this rifle. Probably start with 50 or 55 BT’s but may try 60Sierra TMK’s. Depends on my mood at the moment.

The new " stack" magazine Ruger sent me fixed the feeding problems I was having with my 6.5CR.

It is hilarious that Ruger struggles to build a reliable magazine. Magazine fed bolt action rifles have only been around for over a century.

IMR 3031 doesn't get a lot of love. It rarely gives best MV. But in 22-250 and 45-70, it has been very good to me. If you have some give it a whirl.

It only took about 4 calls to ruger but someone finally sent me two 308 mags. They feed like butter. If the wind dies down tomorrow Hopefully I’ll have time to work up a load.

If you using night vision at night it’s likely that you will not be shooting at long ranges. I would use something that doesn’t go as far and allows you to shoot subsonic rounds. This would be safer and quieter.

Set up a tripod that holds a 360 degree red light over your head. You should be able to see their eyes and they won’t see the light. Zap them with a flashlight to ID them just before you pull the trigger.

I’ve got a pulsar thermion2XP 50 that’s currently mounted on another 22-250. I’ve shot several coyotes with it between 250-350 yards. It’s a pretty amazing piece of equipment. I just bought the Ruger because I didn’t want to thread any of my other 22-250’s plus the Ruger has a 1-10” twist barrel so I’ll have the option to run heavier bullets. I bought the pulsar right before they introduced the LR model (laser rangefinder). Currently any yotie I see inside of 300 is pretty much a layup. The optic has good enough resolution that shots to 500 or more could easily be made IF I knew the range.